Avatar: the Origin
by KikuMizu
Summary: Story of the first avatar and how the legend all began.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

In the beginning, the world was at peace, created to balanced with room to grow. The spirit world and the living world knew of each other's existence but though the spirit world was content to keep to itself, the living grew to fear the other and whatever power it could unleash.

When the human race began to take charge of the other life around them, the spirit world sent an envoy to keep peace between them. Using their power, they changed their envoy into man's form for their peace to be more readily received.

After releasing their envoy into the living world, they could only wait and watch as their envoy tried to bring the worlds together.

Their envoy made their legend and took the title of Avatar.

The fog between the spirit world and the living was one that few witnessed and many avoided. The living didn't want to be caught by the spirits and only the most gruesome waited in the fog to snatch up any fools who dared to wander in.

From the spirit side emerged a figure of a human, glowing green with spirit energy a plenty. The spirits hiding in the fog retreated, knowing better than to stay when a more merciful spirit emerged. The figure was headed straight towards the living world but half way there, it looked back the way it came, staring at the unseen comrades that were sending them off.

A mix of voices blended into one bellowed out, changing every so often from more masculine to more feminine.

_You know your duty. Become allies with man_. _It took most of our power to change you into their form but they should put more trust in you this way. Complete your duty or we too shall be in danger of falling into the chaos that has grown in the living. We do not know when you will return, if at all, but know that with the living, the more lives you touch, the more they will be with you for eternity._

The figure nodded and continued forward. Voices broke off from each other and began to give last minute instructions over each other. One could only catch a couple.

_The living like to be attached. Teach them our ways._

_Adapt to them but remember your identity._

_Fear is only a tool for fools against other fools. Be wise._

_Teach them to understand._

_Make yourself known._

_You have all the time in the world._

And that was all the figure heard as they passed the boarder of the living world and fell into something cold.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ning and Ju were getting ready for the day in their home. Ning was preparing for his work at the boats, gathering fish for the village while Ju was tidying up the house before she too took off, to join the rhino-bear hunt. They had only been wed for two months but had gotten used to each other's continuous company.

Once Ning had his sandals on and his net securely over his shoulder, Ju stopped fussing around with the broom and picked up her spear and comb. With a smile, she went over to Ning and turned around so he could put the comb he had made her in her long, dark hair. It was made out of cedar and had been his betrothal gift to her, something she could use everyday to remember him if he ever got lost over the boat and never seen from again.

He combed her hair a bit before he let the back pieces fall and swept the pieces that would get into her face up into a bun. She turned around and gave him a kiss on his cheek over his steadily growing beard before heading out the door first.

He followed behind, grabbing his basket outside of the door, and they headed towards the beach together. It had become their habit for Ju to walk down with him and see him off since the fishermen took off before the hunters. They met few as they went down but none of them were other fishermen. Ning was the one who lived the closest to the dock without living on it and the one who did live on the dock left when the clouds told him it was okay to be on the water. All the other fishermen came from the other side of the village and if they saw that the dock man hadn't left, they didn't leave either. Ning usually waited for his fellows, for it would only take a moment and he could have a few more moments alone with his wife without the loud and teasing snickers.

As they made their way down the last hill, Ning was the first to spot the dock man's boat. He stopped.

"It looks like I won't be working on the boats today," he said almost gladly. "A good day for a rod and a stream."

He turned to leave but his wife held his arm.

"Wait, look."

Ning turned and looked at where she pointed. After the last boat pulled up on shore was the view of a hand, stretched out but unmoving. He was convinced that it was the hand of one of his fellows that had hit a drink too hard and fell asleep but Ju wanted to find out who it was.

"Please go check for sure," she asked him, "I will be thinking of it all day otherwise."

He sighed. "For you. But if it is Lin or Tu, I'm going to leave them there for their boat mates to fetch."

He let Ju stay up on the hill as he went down and passed the boats both docked and shored on the beach. As he came closer to the hand, he started to doubt his previous thought. Their skin was too pale to be a fisherman's, who were tan from being on the water all the time. He slowed and approached with caution, just in case the person was awake and might take him as a threat.

He didn't have to make it to the end to see that the hand was attached to a naked man curled up and shivering in his sleep. He turned to Ju and shouted,

"He needs help."

As Ju ran down to meet up with them, Ning came up by the stranger and got a good look at his face. He noted that the man must have been in the water for a good amount of time but he was still breathing, a good sign. He also noted that the stranger had the palest hair he had ever seen, a kind of golden color.

The stranger stirred at his touch and Ju's arrival. Both Ning and Ju gasped as they caught a glimpse of the stranger's colorless eyes but they changed quickly to their dark ones. The stranger's hair also changed to the muddy color of Ning's hair before he passed out once again.

Ning backed away quickly and blocked Ju. They stared at the stranger, scared of what might happen next.

Ning eventually risked talking to his wife. "I do not think this man is a man."

Ju looked at him, confused. "Man? I see a woman."

"What?"

They both looked, almost in horror, at the unconscious being. Not only had Ning seen their hair and eyes changed but now him and his wife weren't even seeing the same thing.

"Did you see the hair?"

Ju nodded. "And the eyes."

"What color is the hair now?"

"Like yours."

He relaxed a bit, feeling a bit better now that he knew he wasn't hallucinating for that moment. He turned his back on the stranger, trusting Ju would let him know if the stranger moved.

"Are you sure you see a woman?"

"Yes." she said stubbornly, "Are you sure you see a man?"

He nodded. "You think it is one of the spirits?"

"We can only hope not." She gasped. "What if they are someone cursed by them? How do we know?"

"I don't know," Ning inched towards the figure a bit. "What do you think we should do? Help our fellow out or kill it?"

She pulled her spear out of her husband's reach. "Can you kill it?"

"I touched it. I should be able to kill it."

In light of this information, she switched to a more defensive position. "Well then that proves she is one of us. We cannot touch spirits."

He nodded. "So what do we do? If he stays there, others might try to kill him right away, if he doesn't die from the cold first."

"Then lets pull her back up to our home."

Ning didn't like that idea. "You want to bring this thing home? What if he kills us?"

"I don't think it is a good idea to have you at home with another woman-"

He cut her off. "But I see a man."

Ju stubbornly continued. "But some one has to watch and since you are off of the boats today, you can skip work, yes? Saying your line got tangled in a bush or your rod broke or something."

Ning didn't like being dishonest. "You could say your spear broke."

"I have my knife and even if there was a way to break my knife, I could always be used to herd the rhino-bear away if it takes down one of us. I have to go."

"What about the dock man? Can we trust this to him?"

Ju put her hands on her hips. "The dock man talks to no one and has never set foot into the village. Trusting him with a person is not a possibility."

He sighed. "You are going to keep at this until I give in and take him home anyway, aren't you?"

Her look said it all.

"Fine," he took off his shirt and went next to the stranger. With Ju's help, his shirt made it onto the stranger, curing him or her of some of their shivers. Ju helped to get the stranger on Ning's back and then ran up to the hill to look for anyone coming down the way. Thankfully, it was still early and as they rushed back home, they met no one else.

Ju opened the door and prepared their bed while Ning came in and hovered around her while waiting to set down their unexpected guest, who was lighter than they looked but still uncomfortably heavy for KK's liking.

Once on the bed, Ju tucked the stranger in and went to fetch some water.

"Watch," she said as she went through the door.

Ning chose to watch by sitting at their table, shifting his cushion so he could lean against the wall. Ju made no comment about it when she came back in, poured some of the water in a basin, grabbed a rag, and soaked it in the water. She put the basin and rag near their bed and went to whisper to Ning.

"Wipe the face and watch for sweat. If they wake up, ask who they are."

He shooed her away. "I know what to do. My mother caught the fever, remember? She was more maintenance than this."

Ju picked up her spear, this time ready to join her group in the village square. As an after thought, she went and kissed Ning on the cheek she hadn't already.

"Thank you, honey."

When she left, he sighed. "Maybe I should have been a hunter."

It was around noon when the stranger began to stir. Ning was right beside them, having moved his cushion from the table and mopping their brow every fifteen minutes or so. He was surprised to see their guest awaking so quickly but he was glad he could finally get his questions answered.

The stranger's eyes opened first and they were still as dark as they had turned down at the docks. Ning watched as they took in their change of scenery and slowly realized he was there.

Dark eyes fixed on him, the stranger asked, "Who are you?"

Ning didn't think it would hurt to let such information out. "I am Ning of the village of Zhou Bo. Who are you?"

The stranger turned to the ceiling. "I am called many names."

"Many names?"

The stranger went back to looking at Ning. "More than one. Out of all of them though, I suppose it would be best if you just gave me one."

He didn't expect that. "Me? You want me to name you?"

The stranger nodded.

Ning didn't think he would name a person until he had children with Ju and even then they would probably debate upon it. It was strange, being asked by a complete stranger he had been looking after for the last few hours to give him a name. He began to give it some thought.

"How about Xun?"

"Will I fit in with the name Xun?"

It was an odd question. "I don't see why not."

With that said, the stranger turned back to the ceiling. "Then I am Xun. Where am I?"

"In Zhou Bo, in my house I share with my wife Ju. Where are you from?"

"The realm of Spirits," he said bluntly.

This sent Ning crawling away. Xun watched him as if he were doing something odd.

"S-so you are one of those spirits? Are you going to kill us?"

"I used to be of the spirits but now I have the body of a human and must adapt. I am not made to kill but to bring peace."

"Why would the spirits want peace with us?" Ning grabbed the broom to defend himself. "They could kill us in minutes."

Xun made no attempts to get out of the bed. "Because humans are bringing the world out of balance and if this world becomes out of balance so does the spirit world. They could kill you in minutes but then that would just make things worse."

"Then why do you kill people already? Or spirit them away to your world to never be seen again?" he asked, unconvinced that Xun wasn't still a threat.

"You must be talking about the more harmful spirits. They kill and show themselves to the living. The only reason you can see me is because I have been given this body so you can trust me. I will not harm you unless you make me."

He was confused. "Then what is your mission, if not to hurt us?"

Xun turned back to the ceiling and closed his eyes. "To bring peace and balance to your world and to keep it that way."

Ning asked more question but Xun heard none of them, sleep taking hold once again.

Fishing was one thing that calmed Ning down, which was the main reason he had become a fisherman. But his nerves weren't settling down in the slightest after a couple hours into hanging by the stream. Once he had realized Xun wasn't listening to him anymore, he took up his rod and left. He no longer cared what happened to his spirit world guest and he wanted nothing more to do with him…them.

"How you doing over there, Ning?"

Ning was called away from his thoughts by one of his fellow fishermen, an older man named Min, who was sitting a few yards away.

"Oh, I've caught a few," he admitted, trying to shove his previous thoughts behind.

"Keh. You come late and still have better luck than me. How bad was your line tangled in the bush?"

Ning didn't like to be dishonest but he was thankful for once that his line actually did get caught in a bush right outside his home, though it only took a second to get it out.

He shrugged. "I am here now, aren't I?"

"True true. It looks like we won't be eating a lot of fish tonight though."

"Maybe the rhino-bear hunt will go better, huh?"

Min nodded. "Hope so. They should be here by now. Oh, but they might be late. I heard the next village over had a forest fire a week ago so they might be late migrating over here."

Ning shook his head. "Rhino-bears would just charge through. They are here alright."

Min slapped his leg. "Ah, I just remembered. That merchant from the south came up here the other day with news. I'm sure your wife is hearing the same story right now: There were these two clans that were at war with each other but now they are combining together to make a city. They say that their unification and peace was brought on by a woman who can bend the earth."

Ning's nightmare returned. "W-was she a spirit?"

"No. From what I hear, she was born and raised by completely normal people. The rumor is that she had a lover in the other clan and he was killed in the war so the huge badger-moles they have down there taught her their ways so she could end it. Glad that isn't you and your wife, eh?"

Ning did his best to smile. "Hehe, yeah…"

A moment passed before Min became frustrated. "Ugh, I'm calling it a day. None of the fish want anything to do with me today."

Ning sighed. "I guess I will too," he said before mumbling to himself, "I probably should keep my eye on that spirit."

Min whistled at Ning's fish. "Seven? I don't think you and your wife will ever get hungry."

"And Ju hunts with the others," Ning pointed out, grinning as he picked up his catch.

One of their fellow fishermen called across the water. "Hey, where are you two going?"

Min answered. "Hey! He caught seven fish already. He is going to take everyone's luck!"

Ning elbowed him. "I can't take luck. Don't tell them that or they might think I'm a spirit or something."

Min laughed as they headed back to the village. "Everyone is so superstitious these days. I bet you haven't even met a spirit in your life."

"Met one just this morning," Ning mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"Oh, Ju and I were just talking about spirits this morning."

"Really? What about?" Min said, interested. He was just as gossipy as his own wife and knew many things about spirits.

"Uh, just questions. Like, you can't really touch a spirit, right?"

"You sure can't," Min said as he messed around with his line so he wouldn't be poked by the hook. "But they can. The mean ones can hit you hard and spirit you away to where you will never be seen or hear from again. It is actually pointless to run but that is the last thing going through people's minds when they come near."

"Mean ones? So there are nice ones too?"

Min stopped and put his hand on Ning's shoulder. "Don't ever mess with nature unless you can't help it. Even then, offer something so the spirits you might offend do not come for you. That is how bad spirits come to be: when we put things out of balance or destroy too much. Spirits are everywhere, including in ourselves, and as you can see, we are not evil to begin with. I would like to think nothing is born to hurt or be evil but as my ma used to say: We can't help being ourselves."

Ning nodded. He was glad he brought it up to the older man.

Min slap him on his back and continued down the path. "Watch: there is probably some nut ball out there messing with things right now. Don't let me catch you doing such a thing."

Ning thought long and hard for a moment. He supposed earlier he was carrying things too far with Xun. He thought that just maybe, Xun really wasn't there to hurt anyone. He began to think of ways to say he was sorry when he caught a whiff of his catch and grimaced at the stink. He had to get home and prepare them before Ju came home.

"Lady Li, we are ready."

Dressed all in white, a raven haired woman of small physique was sitting at a mirror, staring at herself and petting a fox-mouse resting in her hand. Her face was a mask, showing no emotion whatsoever, not even that she had heard the call. The man who had informed her was kneeling at the entrance to her tent, waiting for her answer.

He was about to speak again when she finally spoke.

"Only General Park may call me Lady Li."

The man quickly fixed his mistake. "My apologies, Lady Li Feng," he said as he got to his feet, grinning. "But I am General Park."

Lady Li Feng rose and came over to him, letting the fox-mouse fall to the floor to scurry away. "I know."

General Park held her close, still grinning. "We are ready to take control of the city of Chin, just as soon as you are ready to lead the way."

"What would you do without me?" she asked.

"Well all I have is the people. Without you, we couldn't move and most of my troops would be dead."

Lady Li Feng pushed him away and went out of the tent. "Of course they would. I am the brains of this operation as well as some of the brawn." Opening up to a legion of readied troops, she took off her cape to reveal similar armor to what the troops were wearing, except her armor was completely white compared to the green of the men and women before her.

She turned and finally grinned at the general. "Let's cause some chaos, shall we?"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ning found himself sitting the doorway of his home, watching between Xun in the bed and his fish cooking on the fire. He occasionally had to shoo away a couple of the village dogs from the fish but he never got up otherwise, waiting for Ju to come home.

He had been thinking about what Min had said to him before and found himself relaxing a bit more around Xun with each passing moment. Min had said that there were good spirits in the world, so it was nice to think Xun was among them. Min had also said that a normal woman down south had the power of a spirit, which made Xun a bit easier to believe. He was beginning to think everything was going to be fine but he still wanted to get Xun out of his home as soon as he or she was able. No matter how many fish he caught, he wasn't ready to feed another person.

Xun hadn't woken up since that afternoon and as Ju came back, he was relieved to see her.

"I'm glad you are finally back," he told her as she came to him.

"Did she awake?"

He nodded. "He said he was from the spirit world."

"What?" Ju set her spear down next to the house.

"That's what I thought. He said he was here for peace and I had to name him."

"She didn't have a name? What did you call her?"

"Xun. He wouldn't tell me his real name, saying he was called too many things."

Ju pondered this. "Xun…is appropriate. What else?"

"I just told him where he was, found out he was from the spirit world, freaked out a bit, and asked why spirits would want peace with us."

Ju asked when the pause held for too long. "The answer?"

"Something about the world being out of balance."

"Does he blame us?"

Ning shrugged. "He didn't say anything about it."

Ju peeked through the door. "Is she still awake?"

"No, but I have to admit," he said, looking guilty, "I did leave for a while."

"Well that explains the fish," she motioned to the fire where the fish were almost ready. "Why did you leave?"

"Someone tells me straight up they are from the spirit world; I wanted to get away as soon as possible. It kind of helped though."

"Really?" she said skeptically.

"I had a talk with Min. He doesn't know of our friend here but he did have a thing or two to say about spirits, like how they might be born good and we make them bad."

"How do you make a spirit bad?"

"Apparently by messing with stuff in nature too much."

Ju gave him a good look up and down, as if she didn't want to dwell on the subject. "Did you go to the stream without your shirt?"

"I wasn't the only one without one. The weather is mild enough to go without." Ning told her, embarrassed for not realizing it before she pointed it out. "How did the rhino-bear hunt go?"

Ju moved towards the fire. "We spotted none but we set traps for them. The rest of the time we went with the foragers and picked herbs for the medicine lady and Lady Chu. She's called a meeting tonight as well."

Ning ran his hands through his hair. "That's the last thing we need right now."

"We have to go though."

"Then lets hope Xun wakes up before then so we can tell him not to leave."

Xun retreated to the fire and Ju took her spear inside, ready to sweep whatever Ning had let the wind blow in. She began around the table, picking up her cushion to sweep under it. When she didn't see Ning's, she looked around for it and saw it at the bed, where Xun was awake and staring at her. She jumped back in surprise.

"Oh, hello," she responded.

"Who are you?" Xun asked.

"I am Ju."

"Ning's wife."

"Yes."

"In Zhou Bo."

"Yes," she put down the broom and went to Ning's cushion to talk to Xun. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I do not know. Alive? Is that the right word?"

Ju was glad Xun didn't seem threatening. "Can you sit up?"

Xun needed her help and she gladly propped her up against the wall. Ju surveyed Xun carefully.

"You are so thin. What have you been eating?"

Xun looked confused. "What is eating?"

Ju blinked. "Ah, Ning said you told him you were from the spirit world. Do they not eat over there?"

"No."

Ju got up. "Wait here. The fish Ning caught are almost done cooking and then you can eat for the first time."

Ju went back outside to check on Ning, who was poking the fire in boredom. He looked up as she came towards him. "So?"

"She's up and has no idea what 'eating' is."

He stood. "Really? So spirits don't eat?"

"They will in a minute. Are the fish done?"

He pulled two off the fish off and juggled them until Ju went back inside and got a plate to put them on.

"Thanks. Didn't remember it being that hot before," he sucked on his fingers.

She laughed. "Last time the fire had been put out for half an hour."

Ning shrugged and pulled one other fish off, passing it onto the plate quickly. "Let's go eat. I'll watch the rest of the fish from the doorway."

They went back inside and Ju set the plate down on the table, letting them cool before she let anyone else touch them. She went over to Xun and checked on how she was.

"We're back and you are still awake," she noticed. "Just wait a bit for the fish to cool and then we can eat."

Xun was going back and forth between staring at Ju and Ning, as if she didn't want to miss something from either of them.

Ning spoke next. "So you are a good spirit, right?"

"I am no longer a spirit," Xun told him, "but I used to be one."

"I was informed that spirits are in every living thing so technically, you are still one. Are you still good?"

Xun blinked. "Nothing has changed me otherwise."

"Um," Ju cut in, "When we first met you, your hair was golden and your eyes were colorless. What made you change?"

"I changed their color to blend in better with your people," Xun told them, "They were gifts from the Sun and Moon so I am sure they do not mind the change."

This made Ning and Ju think. "The Sun and Moon are spirits?" Ju asked.

Xun nodded. "All the old and powerful spirits accompanied the creation of this world and of me. They used up most of their power trying to get me to look like you the best they could but told me to adapt if they did not get something right."

"So your mission is, what, again?"

"For peace and balance between this world and the spirit world. I am to act as the bridge between both."

Ning spoke up. "Why? Why do the spirits want peace?"

Xun paused for a moment. "You really do not know, do you? The spirit world and the living world are already connected. We cannot live without you as you cannot live without us. If we destroy you, we destroy ourselves."

Ning moved from the door. "So what you are saying is, because the world is out of balance, you are over here so the spirit world goes back into balance?"

"Yes."

"So you are only doing this for selfish reasons," he said angrily, "You are only here because your spirit buddies made you, like you drew lots and you lost."

"Yes, it was decided that I was the best spirit to come here and act as their envoy but in the end, it was my choice to become one of you. We are doing this to protect the delicate state of our worlds and it is not purely selfish. If you go, we will not immediately go with you. Some spirits will remain no matter what happens to you but for the rest of us who do not want to see this world fall, we decided that this was the best way to solve the problem at hand."

"And what is the problem at hand? What is causing all of this unbalance?"

"That is something I need to find out."

Ning was by the bedside now, hands itching to lash out. "So you don't know? Don't spirits live with us, see everything we do?"

"We have eyes everywhere but even as spirits, we cannot remember or retain everything. The only reason I know your language is because it is everywhere in your world and one of the few things I have retained."

Ju pushed Ning away from Xun before something bad happened. "Control yourself, Ning. This is all she knows. I don't think she knows how to lie so what she is saying is probably the truth. Don't get angry at her just because she is answering you with what she knows."

Ning went out to cool his head, leaving Ju and Xun alone. Ju watched him leave and then sighed, going over to the table to bring back a fish for Xun.

She handed it to her. "Here. Bite into it and tear some off."

Xun did as she asked and was overcome by the sudden realization of hunger, wanting more of the fish immediately.

"Chew what is in your mouth first and swallow before you take any more so you don't choke, okay?"

Xun nodded and she patted her head, retreating to the table to eat a fish herself. Looking on at Xun, she wondered if when she and Ning had children, would they be just like her. Xun was an adult for certain but because of how little she knew, she seemed like a child to Ju and she smiled, half wondering what her husband would think if she saw the same thing as him.

When it began to get dark, Ju and Ning had to head off to the village meeting. Ning had calmed down by then and all the fish were taken care of: two for Xun and Ju and three for Ning. Ning had to take back his shirt from Xun but Ju said she would look into getting some old clothes from her mother for their guest.

"You have to stay here," Ning ordered as he fixed the shirt on himself. "Don't leave or someone may find you."

"It is for your protection," Ju explained. "We think you aren't dangerous but someone else might act before thinking."

Xun was feeling better after the fish but not enough to get up and move. Ju was just glad her skin finally had some color in it; she had been pale as a ghost until she ate. Ju ruffled her hair and helped her lay back down in the bed.

"You just lay here and get some more color into you. We will be back soon."

The two of them exited their house and made their way to the village square. Ning was worried that someone looking for them might find Xun or Xun himself would wander out against their warnings and be found.

"Ning," Ju held his arm tighter, "You will give her away yourself if you keep your face like that."

Ning shook his head. "I have a feeling he will give himself away and then there will be mass chaos. There is no face that isn't known in the village."

"I have already thought of that. When the next caravan comes through, we just say that she is our cousin that came with them."

"But what about the gender thing? Who knows what people will see."

"We can dress her in clothes ambiguous enough to be either."

They stopped talking about it as they approached the square. They were a bit late so they stood in the back as Lady Chu began to speak by the fire.

"Friends, we have been visited by a spirit fog off the ocean just last night. Be wary of unknown things, lest the spirits take you back with them tonight. After it had passed, I saw our future as being heavily involved with a great problem spiraling out from the world. In the south, we have heard word that a group of people have been taking over cities, towns, and villages and once the conquest has been made, they burn the entire area to the ground."

Ning and Ju exchanged looks. This was probably what Xun was talking about.

"No one knows why they do this, just that it happens every time they conquer and thus far, they have never lost." Lady Chu paused and then moved on to something more pleasant. "In other news, our very own Mei Lai has given birth to a healthy baby girl this afternoon so she and her husband are not with us this evening so if one of their neighbors could tell them of what was said this meeting, it would be most appreciated."

The rest of the meeting was about the work brought in that week and anything else people wanted the village to know. Ning was glad when it was all over and he raced back home to see if Xun had truly stayed in bed or left. He no longer wanted Xun out of his hair, for the mental image of someone so clueless dying without knowing why gave him chills, but he also wanted Xun capable for his own person soon and the first thing he was going to do to start that process was to tell Xun what they had heard from Lady Chu.

Ju stopped him just before the door. "You are too excited, Ning. Such news needs to be given calmly to such a person."

Ning took a deep breath. "I just don't want to go back to the square for an emergency meeting because a stranger showed up and they were deciding whether or not to kill him."

"That is not going to happen. We know everyone here. No one would try to hurt someone like Xun."

"Until he opens his mouth and says he is from the spirit world," he gruffly pointed out.

She sighed. "Let's just take this step by step. It is the same as having a dog: you train it slowly and it will come to understand."

He had to agree with her there. He had had a dog once and knew how long it took to train it so if he had to treat Xun that way, he could do it. "Fine."

They opened the door to find Xun sitting up and shaking a little. Ju hurried to their side.

"What is wrong?"

Xun's hands pushed farther into its lap. "Pressure."

"Pressure?"

Ning knew what that meant. He came over and picked Xun up. "He needs to go. I'll take him to some bushes."

Ju made sure no one was around before they took Xun out and once that business was settled, Xun was back in the bed, laying down on Ju's request.

"So you really are new to everything, aren't you?" Ju asked.

Xun returned with another question. "How can you move around like that?"

"What? Walking?" her question had been answered on its own, "We can help you learn but don't be discouraged if it takes a while."

Xun nodded.

"Would you like to know about the meeting we just went to or do you think you wouldn't understand?" Ning piped up.

"I am…" Xun's eyes were heavy, "I think I have to…get used to…this body first."

And then Xun was out.

Ning began to move the table out of the way so he and Ju could sleep on the floor. "Just as well. How are we going to tend to him tomorrow?"

Ju helped. "We shall wake up early and teach her the basics before we head off and let her practice all day inside."

Ning didn't think that would work but he kept his mouth shut. He was too tired to argue. "You'd better get those clothes from your mother then. Who knows how long we can keep him inside."

They curled up together, each with their table cushion as a pillow.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Xun, wake up."

Their guest complied with little complaint. Ju, who had been the one to wake them, handed over a piece of bread.

"Eat this and then we can teach you how to walk."

Ning was washing his face in a basin and Ju was combing her hair, both had already eaten. Xun noticed both of them had longer hair than its own.

"Will I fit in better with long hair like the both of yours?"

Ning answered, "It doesn't matter. Yours is shoulder-length: acceptable for a boy and a bit strange for a girl but not unheard of. If anyone finds it strange and asks, just say you had bad lice and your ma had to chop off your hair."

"What is lice?"

"A bug that likes hair. Hard to get rid of."

Ju began putting up her hair. "Eat Xun. We can answer more questions in the evening after we come home."

She then ran out the door and as Ning began putting the table back where it belonged. "She is going to get clothes from her Ma so you have something to wear."

Xun swallowed a bite. "What is a Ma?"

"A Ma, a mother. Someone who gave birth to you. Let me guess, there isn't such thing in the spirit world."

Xun bowed its head. "One simply comes into existence unless an older spirit takes it upon itself to give life to something new. One has to have enough energy to do so, however."

He was curious. "Have you done it?"

"Many times."

That was not what he was expecting. "So you are a parent?"

"What is that?"

"Someone who is responsible for…someone's existence. A mother gives birth to new life but the father helped bring the child into existence in his own way. Both are parents."

"How does a father help?"

He was not ready for a biology lesson. "I'll tell you later. So did you make new spirits on your own or did you have help?"

"It was my own doing, my own choice while I still could concentrate."

"Concentrate?"

"I am not like other spirits," Xun ate some more of the bread, "Once I created enough spirits, I became busy watching over them and could not make any more. They began to multiply and I soon found myself unable to concentrate on any of them, which is why I only know so much of your habits and language."

He wanted to ask more but Ju came back, clothes in tow.

"She looked at me strange," she explained, "but that early bird didn't say no," she turned to Xun, "I will help you get dressed."

She began with the shirt and peeled back the sheets to put on the rest. "Is the bread no good?"

Xun was holding about half of it in its hand. "It is good."

"Then finish it up. A small thing like you needs to finish your food."

Xun complied.

As soon as the clothes were on and the food was finished, Ning came over and helped their guest up by the shoulders. "You have to trust your feet to keep you up."

Ju began to explain further. "You first need to stand without falling over. You can use the wall for support when we are gone. Then, walking is as simple as putting one foot in front of the other." She demonstrated across the room.

Ning slowly released his hold on Xun. When Xun began to shake, he put his hands back for support.

"The waist might be better," Ju pointed out.

Ning moved his hands down. He was careful not to disturb the pants, which were barely on Xun's frail body. "Are you starting to get it?"

Xun nodded and almost fell over.

"Perhaps you should keep your gaze upwards until you learn better," he added.

"Understood."

Ning set the extra weight on the bed and he and Ju got their things for work.

"Now, you cannot leave the house or someone will find you," Ju explained. "Just stay inside and practice walking until we come back. No one should come because both Ning and I have work to do. If someone does, do not answer or open the door. Do you understand?"

Xun nodded, gripping the edge of the bed for support.

"Then we are off," Ning stated as he grabbed and handed Ju her spear. They shut the door behind them and Ning grabbed his basket. They acted normal as they headed down to the docks.

"You think she will be okay?" Ju asked.

"Should be," though he wasn't sure himself. "I had a little talk with him while you were gone."

"About what?"

"He didn't know what a Ma was. Then we got to talking about parents."

"You didn't!" She exclaimed, thinking the worst.

"I avoided the gross details," he quickly told her. "I figured that was too much to talk about for the both of us."

"Good," she said, relieved, "We don't want to confuse her more."

"But it turns out, spirits usually just come into existence."

"Just, poof?"

"Yeah and Xun said that only older spirits can choose to create new ones if they have the energy but most just show up on their own."

"Then which one is she?"

"Well, he did say his body was made by others so I guess the later but he has also made other spirits so he is an old one."

Ju considered this. "Then perhaps the former. I don't think it matters though. Xun is here and we need to make sure no one harms her. If she is an older one, we don't want to anger her."

They made it to the docks. The dock man was gone.

"I am pretty sure he has enough to be angry about, with that weirdo going about. Let's not think about that now. We have to work."

She kissed him. "You are right. Good luck at work, dear."

"Same to you."

Ju was glad to have work: they caught two rhino-bears in their traps from yesterday. The traps only kept two of their legs from moving but it was enough for a team of five to overtake the massive creature. Ju's team carefully surrounded the beast, spears and knives ready. Chiu, the youngest, distracted the beast along with a little help from Wen as the others threw their spears towards soft and vulnerable parts of the creature's hide. Ju was the closest to the beast and was given the go ahead to jump on its back and slash its throat, ending its misery and the hunt.

The rest of the afternoon was spent bleeding and butchering the carcass. Since it was such a large creature, it had to be carried in pieces. Chiu and another member named Sui went to get baskets while Wen went to cut branches off to hang some of the meat to carry it back. Ju and the last member, Shui, finished butchering just before the others returned so as they loaded what they could on the baskets and poles, Ju and Shui went to the village square to grab pots to collect water to wash the meat.

Others had the job of gathering water but in order to prepare the meat for the feast that would soon follow, the cleaning would have to be done immediately and with more than one rhino-bear, they would need lots of water. Ju and Shui went to the stream and filled their pots twice before going back to carry the meat. When they reached the square, the farmers had brought in the produce for the day and their spouses took over the meat to cook it, for the farmers usually married the best cooks.

Lady Chu was directing everyone involved and soon a huge fire was made and set with the meat. Ning and the other fishermen came back with a haul as well but unlike stream fishing, ocean fish were to be sold. With the rhino-bear feast, the fish weren't going to be sold today. Instead, they packed the fish in salt and set it aside for tomorrow.

The whole village gathered and ate the rhino-bear meat to their heart's content. Extra would be handed over to the hunters, especially to the ones who took the kill. It was dark by then and Ju had distributed most of the meat to others, since it was a lot of meat for two people. She bought some bread and produce before she and Ning left to go home for the day, the sky dark.

They began talking about their day on the way back.

"So the hunt went very well, did it?" Ning asked, knowing fully well it had.

"Chiu is getting the hang of things. Soon she will have her first kill."

"That's good. The ocean treated us the same as usual. We will have some fish to sell tomorrow but I am not in charge of that this time. I will go back out again."

"Good. I don't have to hear you complaining about being bored all day and bickering with Han about the price."

He huffed. "That old man doesn't appreciate fishermen. He swears a fish is half its value just because it was dumb enough to be caught."

She laughed, for it was what he always said. "I wonder if Xun is alright. We did leave her alone all day."

"He won't disappear into thin air without us there. He can't even walk."

"She had the muscles for it. Suppose she became good enough to get outside."

"Then we no longer have responsibility for him since he disobeyed," he said harshly, though he knew if they did not find Xun home, his wife would make him search all night.

They opened the door to a surprise.

"Welcome back, Ju."

It was Ju's mother, An.

"Ma!" Ju exclaimed. She looked to Xun, who was sitting on the floor next to her.

"W-welcome back?" Xun carefully said, for the meaning was not fully understood and Ju was acting strangely.

Ning became angry. "You answered the door?" he asked Xun.

An explained. "No, I let myself in. I wondered why you needed the old set of clothes and I heard a fall before I dared to knock. Then I came in and saw this poor thing that was saying he was learning how to walk. Where did this boy come from?"

Jun calmed down a bit. Of course her noisy mother would want to know what was going on. "You see a boy?"

"Well what do you see?"

"A woman."

Ning piped in, "I see a man. She sees a woman."

An tisked. "Much too skinny to be a man. I fixed the pants so they would fit right now but I have a feeling he will grow out of them soon. He was telling me strange things, that he was from the spirits."

Ju and Ning closed the door and sat down. The cushions were taken up by An and Xun so they sat on the bare ground.

"We found him on the beach," Ning explained, "And he originally had golden hair and pale eyes before he changed them to a darker color. We've been taking care of him for about two days now."

"Came with the fog, eh?" An was anything but superstitious. "Maybe he got thrown off a boat."

"What nation holds pale hair?" Ju asked.

"He's an albino, my dear. He must have changed his hair so he didn't stand out."

"But he didn't do it with any dyes and he did it in a blink of an eye."

"Your eyes were playing tricks on you."

Ju wished she lived in another village so she didn't have to deal with her mother. Ning was just glad the old woman was the least likely to believe Xun was hazardous.

An's eyes caught the baskets. "You brought more food? I heard the hunt went well."

"You didn't eat?" Ning asked.

"Well I wasn't about to go and leave this little thing behind to starve. I knew you would be back to feed him but I had some of your rice and pickled cabbage, as did this one, for lunch. I've been here all day."

"Don't you have work?"

"A seamstress makes her own hours. Besides, I was ahead of schedule."

Xun kept watching the three of them, never saying a word to interrupt.

"So what have you two been doing all day?" Jun asked.

An took Xun's hands. "Let us show them your progress."

Xun, with a little help from An, was able to stand and she guided him around the room slowly, once somewhat shaky foot after another.

"It's just like when you were little, only I don't have to bend down for this one."

"Little?" Xun asked.

"Yeah, little. Everyone starts out little."

"I have never been little before."

The old woman laughed. "Stubborn, eh?"

They went around the house a couple times, just to show Ning and Ju exactly how far they had progressed. At the end, Xun was able to stand up without assistance for a moment and then sat down.

Ju and Ning were impressed, only because they didn't think that much progress would have been made.

"Great job," Ju said as she clapped.

Ning clapped with her. "Keep that up and you'll walk in only a couple days."

An looked satisfied. "See? I'm more than the fussy old woman you think I am," before anyone could retort, she hounded on Ning, "And don't say it didn't cross your mind because I know it did. I didn't let you marry my daughter because I liked you."

"Then why did you let me marry her?" he asked flatly.

"Because you made her happy, of course."

Ning and Ju blushed. Xun almost asked why but didn't. An sat down as well.

"So let me guess, you were thinking of waiting for the caravan to come through and introducing him as a cousin or such."

She had hit the nail on the head.

"Well, I have more room at my home for him than you do here and it would be strange for newlyweds to have a third wheel. He will be safe, I can assure you that."

"Ah, well," Ning blushed a bit more, "that is true but Xun has a bit of a problem. As we said earlier, you and I see a boy while Ju sees a girl. What will everyone else see?"

The old woman pouted. "Ju, how much does this one look like a girl? Any noticeable breasts or hips?"

"Well, no," Ju admitted, "I only saw her as much as a girl when she was naked. The clothes cover it up."

"Then the clothes will continue to cover it up. The caravan comes through in three days and then it will stay for a week. After that week is over, I suggest on taking Xun to live with me," before Ju and Ning could voice their disagreements, she turned to Xun, "Wouldn't you like that? To live with me and let these two who have each other gain back their privacy? Oh, an old woman like me is left all by her self when her last daughter was taken away by a man. My husband passed on so many years ago it just makes the loneliness deeper to think about it."

Xun didn't answer and the comments were directed towards Ju and Ning anyway, to make them feel guilty enough to let their guest go. An was lonely but she was using that to her advantage. She didn't expect to keep Xun forever, but she wanted to see grandchildren and the only way they were going to happen while she was alive was if the two were left alone.

It worked. "I suppose," Ju folded.

Ning didn't dispute. "It is late, how about you get home and we will talk about this more tomorrow?"

An got up. "I believe that is best. Good night. I can get myself home, not that old."

The old woman hobbled off into the shadows and Ning at least watched her until she was out of sight before he brought in the rhino-bear meat for their no threatening friend. The animal was always cooked all at once unless requested otherwise so it was only cold. He pulled a chunk off and went to give it to Xun.

"Here, eat this."

He took it. "What is it?"

"Rhino-bear. Just eat it."

He did and his face lit up with the taste and the new texture.

Ju rubbed his back. "Eat slowly now," she reminded.

Once finished, Xun was tired once again. An had taken it to the bathroom during the day so the meal was shortly followed by sleep. Ju and Ning began preserving the food the best they could as their guest began drifting deeper and deeper. When they were sure Xun was out for good, they began whispering.

"See?" she asked her husband, "Now how could you call that threatening? Can barely walk and falls asleep after eating one meal and you are afraid?"

Ning just liked to be careful. "Well when _**I**_ was growing up, trusting other _**people was hard. Now I have to trust something that shouldn't exist here."**_

_**She grabbed her husband by the waist, lingering in the smell of the water embedded in his clothes. "But you learned to trust me after all that time. Surely you could do the same again for another person?"**_

_**He sighed and smiled a little. "I will try."**_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Incoming caravans were an exciting time for the village. Lots to buy and sell, many stories to exchange, and for many, it was a time to just meet new people or old friends. The weather was good during their time in the village so Ning didn't get to go and Ju only went when there was no luck in the hunts and she could leave early but she didn't see many familiar faces.

Just as they were leaving, it was time for Xun to move over to An's home in the town square. Ju and Ning assisted it the long way around the village so as not to be spotted. By then, it had been able to walk well enough but the sheer length of the journey was a bit much for their newborn-like guest. After a couple breaks, however, the ordeal was over and Xun was safely on a rug, passing out like a small flame in the wind.

Though they finally had their bed back, Ning couldn't sleep; too concerned that their trick would be discovered and traced back to them both. In the morning, he came down with a cold that left him unable to work so Ju went to pass the message onto his coworkers and fetched him a pail of fresh water before going to work. His sickness gave him some sleep but he was only relieved when his wife came back that evening with good news.

Her arms were full of rhino-bear meat. "Guess what?"

He sniffed. "You caught another one."

"Yes, but today was very special," she hinted as she began preparing easier-to-consume food for her husband.

He knew exactly what she was talking about. "How did it go?"

"Well, Xun didn't exactly smile but she was accepted as if she were the time keeper. People who asked accepted rather quickly and then began passing on the news to others and no one made a fuss so it looks like she can stay."

He coughed and took a drink of water. "And how did your ma go about it?"

"She introduced her as one of her cousin's children who came to live with her. Explained "the poor thing" was so tired she let her rest after the long trip and that the child didn't have much of a presence to begin with so if anyone was having trouble remembering, she wouldn't mind repeating herself."

"Did Xun say anything?"

"No one talked to her."

He frowned; that wasn't a good sign.

Ju came over to him and held his first bite out in front of his face. "May I baby you?" she asked shyly.

He ate the piece she offered but took the bowl. "I can feed myself. I'll be good enough to go back to work tomorrow."

"I'll be the judge of that."

She pressed her forehead to his and smiled pleasantly. "Looks like this cold was just from a worrier."

"Hey."

She laughed as she went back to the leftover meat for further chores. "Don't worry. You should know by now that no one dares to mess with my mother. She will keep her safe."

He hoped she was right.

[break]

Indeed, no one messed with Xun, as Ning found out during his turn at the market stand the next day. Not wanting another bout of his sickness to come about on the water, he was assigned ahead of schedule to sell instead of going out on the water. An and Xun were sitting outside, Xun learning how to sew under the sunlight and as Ju had said, no one had approached him to talk, just An.

He went over to talk to them when there was the lull before workers came in and headed home. "So, how are you?"

The old woman answered. "We are fine. Didn't sell much today, did you?"

He frowned. "Even I get tired of fish sometimes. So what are you teaching him to sew for?"

"He needs something to do."

He scoffed. "But sewing isn't much fun. You squint."

An nearly kicked him. "Well it has always put food on my table. I suppose I should be grateful for those like you who think it is boring or I might not have a job."

The way she said it rubbed him the wrong way but he decided to let it go. "Eh, every job is important, I suppose." He turned to Xun, "But you didn't come here to sew clothes, did you?"

A shake of the head came before a potentially serious question, "What is fun?"

The both of them blinked. An thought of an answer first.

"Something you enjoy doing."

Ning pointed to his chest. "Something you feel in here. It is something that makes you want to do something again."

Xun continued. "So is your job fun?"

He scratched his head. "Well, I think so."

He asked An. "Is his job fun?"

"Not to me," Xun looked clueless so she added, "Fun changes depending upon the person."

Ning took it a step farther. "For example, do you feel like you are having fun doing that?"

"I do not know."

His attempt to shake things up didn't work. "Well, you will figure it out eventually." He looked back to the stand with an almost sad expression. "I probably should return. This part is one I do not enjoy," he told him with a smile.

Getting up, he returned to sit and waited for the rush. He was so busy selling that he didn't realize what his actions had done. The other villagers were not sure how to approach the new face so since Ning had done so, they too gave it a shot. Those who did found it odd but not too terribly so. An also encouraged the interaction, explaining that the child's parents had been working so hard that he hadn't been able to learn well. This just made them want to treasure him.

Also, since An called him a him, anyone who saw any differently just thought he was a girly-looking boy who hadn't hit puberty yet. Thus, Xun was being solidified as a boy, though he himself didn't know what that meant.

As the day ended and the last of the customers came though and left, An went over to Ning and patted him heartily on the back. He was confused.

"What?"

"Hehe, you are useful, aren't you?" She pointed over to the front of her house, where there was still one person trying to talk to Xun. "You came over and then everyone else thought they should try as well."

He brushed his hand under his nose to hide his blush. "Just a coincidence."

She didn't dispute it. "And a lucky one at that."

She headed back to take Xun inside before Ning could come up with a reply. He quickly decided it wasn't worth chasing after them so he grabbed the remaining fish and took them to the drying rack they used to preserve the fish. Only in the afternoon was fresh fish an option but so as to not completely lose out of profits, they also dried the fish and sold it to those who either preferred it that way, or those who lived by themselves and would not be able to eat one normal fish in a sitting.

He had been so busy that he hadn't seen when they brought the fresh fish in, just that he suddenly had to sell them. Thus, he was surprised to see a few of the others waiting for him at the rack. He handed the fish over and they swiftly told him,

"You are still recovering so go home for now."

"You have to sell fish again tomorrow, alright?"

He didn't know what to say, especially when he felt fine. He just decided to take up the offer so he could return and tell Ju of his day. "Thank you."

[break]

A week passed, all the while Ning was still put on market duty. It was at the end of that week that he was finally deemed cured and ready to be back on the boat. Still, that week had been quite eventful for Xun, as Ning observed. Everyday, at least two people would try to talk to him and anyone who stopped to talk to An would talk a bit to Xun as well.

To his dismay, however, Xun had become quite apt at sewing. The first piece, which had been a pair of pants, had taken three days to sew up and another two days to correct but the second piece, a shirt, was done in an afternoon and just before closing at the end of that week, he had made his second pair of pants. He didn't think it was manly for Xun to be learning but the only person he could complain to was his wife, who simply put that he was under the roof of a seamstress so it was only natural to learn how to do so.

Ju had been upset when she heard that Xun was being called a boy. She knew what she had seen and she was worried that someone would find out, which was a bit uncharacteristically of her. Ning had to take on the optimist role for once and told her that it would somehow work out in the end.

But then that brought up another issue: what exactly was Xun going to do for the rest of his life? They both knew that he wasn't normal but thinking he would continue to work at An's was not something they saw happening. They decided to go visit that evening when Ning was finally going to be off of market duty to talk to An about what to do.

When they were at the door, however, they realized that they were not alone. Still, Ju knew as her mother's house, she was welcome any time so she knocked before even wondering who else was inside. Ning held his breath it wasn't anyone important.

An answered the door. "Oh, come to visit me, eh? Come on in, the fire has been going strong."

The first thing Ning noticed was that everyone else was crowded around the table, then that all of the people around were some of the brats who weren't quite old enough to marry, and finally that they were playing mahjong. He let out the breath he had been holding. Ju noticed Chiu at the table but no one else. They came and sat down next to An, who was only observing the game.

"Luli next door came over the other day and decided the best way to have this child interact with others was to play games. Surprisingly, he won all night so people have continued to come over to challenge him after dinner."

Chiu also added. "We are teaching him mahjong right now but right now we are seeing if he can do well on his own." She turned her attention back to their student. "Do you have anything?"

Without much sense, Xun revealed his entire hand. The group nearly called him a fool until they saw what he had.

"Seven pairs?" The other girl commented. "Wow, that's great. I have nothing yet."

The boy next to her laughed. "That is because you always shoot for the biggest and don't even look at hands under sixty-four points."

She scowled as she threw in her tiles. "Why not, since the point is to have the most points?"

Chiu was all good humor. "But sometimes, you have to work up slowly. If it takes you forever to gathers the right tiles, someone will always beat you before you do."

Xun was just taking their conversation, learning more about the game.

The boy continued. "I nearly had a mixed straight and that is less points. It's all on strategy and a little luck. See? He had the tile I needed."

"You all had the tiles I needed," the girl exclaimed.

"Don't be greedy."

Ning was no longer worried in the slightest of what would happen to Xun. If anything, it looked as though he could gamble his way through life he continued to look that helpless and be blessed by such luck.

Ju was still concerned. "Ma, are you always going to keep Xun under your roof? Do you think sh-he has what it takes to continue as a seamstress for the rest of her-his life?"

She wasn't overheard by the shuffling of the mahjong tiles and the banter from the boy and girl.

The old woman was grinning at the sight of the children playing. "This going on for the rest of his life wouldn't be so bad."

She didn't think so. "You can't make a living off of gambling."

Ning disagreed. "You can in the cities. It is hard, though, since there are more people who cheat."

The boy managed to overhear that part of the conversation. "Yeah, Xun, you should go into the city and play there. I'm sure no one would cheat you because you look like a lost child."

Chiu disagreed. "But wouldn't that be the perfect person to cheat?"

An knew the conversation was going to go long if Chiu was also interested in talking about it. "Last game and then you must head home before it is too late."

They quickly began their next game. The old woman shook her head and reassured her daughter. "Whatever Xun ends up doing, it is clear that people will feel comfortable around him."

Ning and Ju exchanged looks. They weren't so sure but since they were the only ones who had an idea of what Xun was, it was possible that no one else would find out and he would indeed be the person An had described. Now if only the could get him to smile.

Once they were done with the game, it turned out that Xun had come in first because of his last hand. The rest turned in for the night, telling him they would come again, and once they had left, Ning and Ju decided to talk more freely. Xun had had his back to them the entire time so Ning told him to turn around.

Though his face didn't change, his eyes looked very sad. Ning was too surprised to comment but Ju managed to notice and do so.

"Xun, what is wrong?"

He was confused. "Wrong?"

"Your eyes look so sad."

"Sad?"

The old woman decided a different approach was in order. "You didn't want to stop playing, did you?"

After a moment, he nodded.

"You like playing those games, don't you?"

"I like…playing games?" Though he didn't fully understand what it meant, he decided this was true and nodded. "Does this mean I think it is fun?"

"Yes."

"Can I do this for a living?" He was remembering the conversation from last week rather well.

Ning finally stepped in. "I wouldn't. It would be hard and there would be several people who would down on you as not having a respectable job."

It was too many words for him to understand.

He sighed once he realized. "No, you probably couldn't do it as a job."

Xun nodded slowly to show he understood.

"What should he do then," An reminded them of their topic. "If you really do not think he can take over my sewing, then he will have to do something else soon."

Ning sighed. "Just let him keep going for a while longer until he finds something else he enjoys."

Ju had a different idea. "Or she could get married."

Even her mother thought that was ridiculous. "If you really do see a woman, there would be a problem if the other person kept seeing either or."

"Then we just make sure the other person can see them as a female by something like taking a bath in the river. Not only will we be able to confirm it, he would be forced to take responsibility."

Xun, for once, had an opinion. "Water is full of yin so it would not matter: I would be seen as female."

All three of them focused on him. An seemed to understand. "I believe I have heard something like such before. But what does that have to do with your body?"

"My appearance changes based on the individual looking at me because of the levels of yin and yang within themselves. But in environments full of either yin or yang will make me appear one gender. Normally, a man has more yang and will see me as man while a woman has more yin and will see me as a woman."

Ju quickly said, "But what about An? She sees you as a man. Oh, or a boy."

"An is low on yin energy. With age, beings either diminish in their original energy or create nothing but."

"Well how about that," Ning said with a bit of an attitude. "There goes that marriage plan."

Xun also added, "This house is full of yin energy, however."

And to prove it, Xun began pulling its shirt off. Everyone in the room saw the same thing. An exclaimed while Ning turned away. Ju watched their reactions in confusion.

"Oh my," An said, "Those weren't there before. Put your shirt back down dear."

Xun complied.

This started a heated discussion between An, Ju, and Ning with An going on about the morals of the society they were in. She hadn't believed them when they first told her that their visitor was a spirit in human form but now she was livid and spouting trickery. Ju and Ning had to hold her down so she wouldn't be so loud as to disturb her neighbors. All the while, Xun was thinking.

When they were finally calming An down, Xun asked a question.

"Does it matter whether I am a man or a woman?"

Ju answered him, though trusting her husband to make sure her mother wasn't going to bite her fingers off. "Well, it would make things easier since no one is both genders."

"Then which is easier to travel as?"

Ning answered that before his wife. "A man. A woman is expected to stay with the family."

Suddenly, An was ready to fight him for such a remark and Ju took her hands off to help. The thing that stopped them was Xun.

Soon after Ning's answer, she stripped naked. Sitting cross-legged, she put her palms to the ground and began to glow. They silently watched as the light became brighter until they could barely see. However, it hurt too much to look so all three closed their eyes until it began to fade.

When they opened their eyes, in front of them was a skinny boy with golden hair and pale eyes. Sweat dotted his brown and his breath was heavy but it was the same boy Ning and An had been seeing. He looked up to them and, catching once again on Ning, began changing his hair and eyes back to the dark colors from before.

Though they were all speechless, Ning was first to speak. "Do you have to change your hair and eyes every time?"

He nodded. "When I use a lot of energy and power, my hair will change back to the gifts of the Sun and Moon."

"It seems like a waste…" he said as he lingered back into awe.

Ju, however, was more practical. "What did you just do?"

"I made myself a man. Now I do not depend upon the environment to decide for me."

"Why a man?"

"Because Ning said it would be easier to travel and no one denied it."

An came closer to the now permanently being. "What do you mean travel? Where do you have to go?"

He was too exhausted to do more than place his hands in his lap. "I came into this world to stop those who are disturbing the balance in your world. If this world is out of balance, then the world of spirits follows. We will not be destroyed immediately with you but we will be destroyed."

Ning understood what he was getting at. "So you have to go find these people?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do when you find them?"

"I am going to take away their energy."

They understood what that meant. An spit on the ground. "May you refrain from such. Something as innocent as you should not be killing. The spirit of the earth certainly wouldn't stand for it."

Before Xun could say anything in reply, Ning came forth. "I suppose I could help you."

His wife didn't like it one bit. "Ning!"

"But I was born into a caravan. I have been around this continent and around more cities than we can catch fish in a river. I am not saying I will help him hurt those people but I can at least lead him around so he doesn't get lost."

She saw his determination. "Then I am going with you."

He didn't argue.

She turned to her mother. "We won't leave right away. We at least have to wait until after rhino-bear season. Otherwise, the village will not have enough experienced hunters or catches to last the winter."

An agreed. "Then I will have Xun work on a set of clothes for each of you when we are the only ones in the house. I will also try and save what I can."

"But Ma-"

"I have lived a long time Ju. I can deal with a little hunger. Besides, this will show me who really likes me in this village," she turned to Xun. "Does this sound good to you?"

"Whatever you think is best," was the only thing he could come up with to say.


End file.
